


with each step

by kiyala



Category: Haikyuu!!
Genre: First Meetings, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-11-12
Updated: 2015-11-12
Packaged: 2018-05-01 07:00:10
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,896
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5196593
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/kiyala/pseuds/kiyala
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Akaashi and Bokuto don't like each other when they first meet.</p>
            </blockquote>





	with each step

Bokuto is silent when they practice together. It's unusual, even Keiji knows that by now, after spending two weeks on the team. His jaw is tense and there's an intensity that burns in his golden eyes but Keiji is observant. He needs to be, if he wants to earn his place as the team's setter. He needs to understand his teammates, he needs to know how they feel at any given time and for better or worse, nobody projects their emotions better than Bokuto. Right now, it's not determination that lights his eyes up, but anger. 

He's angry that he's practicing with Keiji, while the rest of the second years have been paired with third years. It's like a match, setting off a spark of anger in Keiji's chest in return. Keiji doesn't let it show. He takes a deep breath, exhales slowly, feels the blaze of anger burn itself out. He's irritated; that much isn't going to change. It doesn't mean he has to let it affect his playing. 

"You don't have enough control," Keiji says, when Bokuto hits five consecutive spikes out of bounds. "You have power, but that doesn't mean anything if you can't control it."

Bokuto's jaw tenses. Keiji wishes he would just say something, because this silence is suffocating. Keiji likes his peace and quiet, but there's nothing peaceful about the way Bokuto determinedly looks away from him, the sharpness in his movements, the way he slams his palm against the balls that Keiji tosses. 

"You're jumping too high," Keiji points out as well. "You're wasting your energy." 

"You're never happy," Bokuto bites out. "I'm not good enough, is that it? You never have anything nice to say. You know how the saying goes—"

"I'm trying to help you," Keiji snaps. The anger returns, burning even hotter than it did before. He takes a deep breath, but Bokuto looks petulant, like a child, and Keiji wants to _punch him_. "I can't keep up with you when you move like that. I don't have the physical ability to keep up, but you can slow down. Conserve your energy. Focus it on sending your spikes to the right places."

"You're a first year," Bokuto reminds him. 

"That doesn't make my points any less valid," Keiji replies firmly. "It's not just me, either. The third years were telling you to slow down the other day at practice, too. You should listen to them."

With a scowl, Bokuto pushes the volleyball into Keiji's hands with more force than necessary. It makes him stumble backwards, falling down onto the floor. 

"Conserve your energy," Keiji reminds him, looking up at him, and Bokuto's scowl deepens.

"I'll show you—"

"Bokuto. Akaashi." Their captain calls from the other side of the gym. "Why don't I hear anything happening at your end of the court?"

"Sorry, sorry!" Bokuto waves his arm in the direction of their captain. He holds out a hand for Keiji, pulling him to his feet roughly. "We'll keep going." 

They do, even though nothing ends up changing. Bokuto's technique needs work but he isn't going to listen to Keiji's suggestions. He barely listens to anything Keiji has to say at all. Their captain makes them stay behind after everyone's done, assigning them a lap of flying falls around the court. Keiji goes without protest, leaving Bokuto to argue with the captain. Bokuto ends up overtaking him anyway and it fills Keiji with jealousy. He wishes he had that kind of easy athleticism, and it irritates him to see Bokuto wasting it.

Bokuto doesn't quite wait for him at the end of the court. He's a step ahead of Keiji the entire way to the club room and it's—awkward. They're not quite close enough to talk, and Keiji doesn't doubt that it's on purpose. He doesn't really have a choice but to walk behind Bokuto, trying not to pant too loudly. He's exhausted and he's already drained his water bottle. Ahead of him, Bokuto isn't walking as fast as he usually would, but he doesn't look half as tired. Maybe it's a weird sense of pride, but Keiji feels like if he lets his exhaustion show, he'll end up losing some sort of unspoken competition between them. 

By the time he gets home, Keiji collapses into bed, pride intact even though he doesn't want to do anything but sleep for the rest of the afternoon. His homework doesn't end up getting finished in time for class the next day. On one level, he accepts the responsibility for it, knowing that it's something he should have allowed time for, around volleyball practice. At the back of his mind, though, there's a quiet voice that insists it's entirely Bokuto's fault. 

 

* * *

 

"Why do you hate me?" Bokuto asks, and Keiji blinks in surprise.

They're outside the gym, having lost a practice match against the other members of the volleyball club. The rest have already left, and they're the last two left to change. Keiji is sweating hard and he wipes his face and neck with his shirt before he looks up at Bokuto, who's standing over him with a volleyball tucked under his arm. There's a different kind of anger in Bokuto's expression today. His eyes are narrowed, lips pressed together into a thin line. Keiji has heard of Bokuto's infamous sulk, but this is the first time that he's actually experiencing it for himself and he doesn't know if he has the energy to deal with this, to deal with Bokuto in general.

"I don't hate you," Keiji finally replies. He looks away when Bokuto's frown deepens.

"It kind of feels like you do," he says. "What's with the tosses you were sending me today?"

"I sent you tosses that you could hit." Keiji wants to scowl in return, but he stops himself. "I matched them to your jumping height and spiking strength. You should have been able to hit them without a problem."

"That's not what I'm talking about! I mean the way they _felt_! Their personality!"

This time, Keiji _does_ frown. "They're tosses. They're not meant to have a personality."

"That's what you think!" Bokuto clenches his fist, then unclenches it, looking down at it. "But you're wrong. The perfect toss isn't about where it's sent, it's about the way it comes at you like it's saying, _hit me!_ "

Keiji shuts his eyes, massaging his temples. "That sounds ridiculous. It's about technique, not… what a toss says. That doesn't make sense."

"It makes sense when you spike it," Bokuto tells him with conviction. "I want to be the best spiker in the whole country one day. I'm going to beat everyone—even Ushiwaka from Shiratorizawa—but I can't do that by myself, you know. A spike can't happen without a toss. I know you're not a starting member yet, but the third years are going to retire after the Interhigh. You're the best setter we're going to have after that, so I have to work with you."

" _Have to_ ," Keiji echoes, with the flare of irritation that he's coming to associate with Bokuto.

"And it's not going to work out if you hate me," Bokuto continues, like he hasn't even heard Keiji. "So that's why you have to tell me what your problem is."

"I don't hate you," Keiji says again. "I only have one problem with you and I've mentioned it to you before. You don't control yourself as well as you can. I'm not denying your ability, Bokuto-san. I have no doubts that you can become the best spiker in the country, but you're competing with players who know how to make the best of their abilities. You're going to have to do the same. It's not just about how a toss feels."

"You think I can do it?" Bokuto asks brightly, and Keiji sighs to himself. Of course Bokuto is focusing on that part.

"I do. I know you're a good player. The more control you have, the better you'll be."

"Will you toss to me?" Bokuto asks.

"Of course I will," Keiji says, but then blinks when Bokuto holds out his volleyball. "You mean right now?"

"Right now." Bokuto grins. "If I'm going to practice to be the best, I want to start as soon as possible."

With a quiet huff of amusement, Keiji stands up and takes the ball. "Yeah. Okay."

 

* * *

 

They win the Interhigh preliminaries with Keiji on the court. 

Their third year setter injures himself in a collision with their libero and Keiji is sent out to replace him. He's nervous, but refuses to let it show. Bokuto has insisted on spiking practice every day and Keiji has improved a lot because of it. He might not know the other spikers the way he's come to know Bokuto, but they've all been practicing together. Keiji might not be a prodigy, but he's still good enough to figure out what kind of tosses to send to each member of the team.

He's still surprised when they win. Not because of the victory itself, but the fact that they take the match point with a quick that Bokuto slams down with such force that it bounces loudly off the court. It's exhilarating and Keiji feels like he's watching it happen as a spectator, not as someone on the court, definitely not as the one who sent the toss. 

"That was it!" Bokuto is yelling, over the victorious shouts of the rest of their team. He's patting Keiji on the back—hitting him, actually, but the pain feels distant and insignificant in the face of their victory. "That was it, that was _exactly_ it!"

Keiji smiles as he meets Bokuto's gaze. His heart is still pounding so loudly that he can barely hear his own voice over it. "The toss you were talking about."

"It said _hit me_ ," Bokuto tells him, and Keiji finds himself wondering how he got swept up into this without even realising, caught between Bokuto's golden eyes and the warm hand still resting on his back. "So I hit it. Easy."

"Yeah." Keiji sounds just as breathless as he feels. "…Easy."

"Line up!" the captain calls out, and Keiji follows Bokuto, bowing deeply to their opponents, to their supporters, still feeling Bokuto's hand on his back like a brand.

Bokuto sits beside Keiji on the bus back, too tired for his usual chatter. Keiji is a little glad for it. For all the time they've spend together while practicing, they generally don't talk beyond that. He doesn't even know what he would talk to Bokuto about.

But then they get back to school, and Bokuto does't leave his side. He sprawls into the seat beside Keiji's for their post-match meeting, his presence loud and impossible to ignore, even when he isn't saying a word. 

The coach announces that Keiji will be the starting setter for the rest of their games. The third years don't look surprised by this development, even if Keiji is. It makes sense, because their opponents won't be familiar with hm and his playing style, and Bokuto hits him on the back again to congratulate him. 

The coach goes on to comment on how well Keiji and Bokuto play together, and how Keiji is the best at drawing out Bokuto's potential. It will be a good partnership to build the new team around, the captain comments, and Keiji flushes with pride, glancing over at Bokuto to find him at a loss for words. Keiji savours the moment while he can.

"Hey, Akaashi! Hey!" Bokuto calls after him once the meeting is over and they're dismissed.

"I'm too tired for spiking practice," Keiji protests, even though he slows down to let Bokuto catch up with him.

"Don't worry about that! I'm not asking you to practice with me right now. I just wanted to talk to you about the team. They're going to be counting on us a lot, you know. I'm going to master this spike completely, so I can be the kind of ace that every other team is afraid of playing against. I can do it. I can feel it, you know."

"I'll send you the right kind of toss," Keiji replies. He's already craving that rush again. "The perfect toss. I'm going to do it again."

"I know," Bokuto says, with the same confidence and faith that he has in his own abilities. "We're going to be a good pair. We'll be unstoppable!"

Keiji finds himself smiling, and Bokuto stops in his tracks, staring at him with open surprise.

"What's the matter—?"

"You're _smiling_."

Keiji raises an eyebrow. "I've smiled before."

"Not like this." Bokuto shakes his head. "I made you smile! That means you don't hate me, right?"

"I didn't hate you in the first place—" Keiji begins, then stops, changing tactics. "…No, I don't hate you, Bokuto-san. You spike my tosses well and you're… I think you're going to be a good ace. We'll show them, won't we? You'll be the best spiker there is."

"Whoa." Bokuto's cheeks turn bright red. " _Whoa_ , Akaashi, you're really amazing, you know that?"

Keiji feels his cheeks growing warm too and he looks away, not knowing what to do with the sudden rush of emotion, of inspiration. He takes a deep breath. "I feel like practicing. Will you spike my tosses, Bokuto-san?"

"Always!" Bokuto beams at him. "Let's go."

 

* * *

 

The ride back from the nationals is silent, most of the team having succumbed to exhaustion and fallen asleep. From where Keiji is sitting, he can see the captain with tears tracking down his cheeks. He's not the only one. Disappointment sits heavily over the team, having come so close to their goal only to fall short of it. 

Bokuto is awake, sitting in the window seat beside Keiji. He has his chin resting in his hand as he stares out the window and he's barely moved since the bus started. Sometimes, Keiji will see him balling his hand into a fist, clenching so hard that it trembles. Neither of them have said a word and Keiji is still trying to sort out what he's feeling, let alone finding a way to express it to Bokuto. 

They're about halfway back to their school when Keiji speaks. He utters a single word, into the space between them where they sit, shoulders bumping together as the bus moves. "Sorry." 

Bokuto turns to him, blinking in surprise. "Why?"

"I should have done something," Keiji murmurs. "I should have come up with a plan to turn things around. I could have—"

"Hey." Bokuto grabs him by the wrist, holding on firmly. "Every toss you sent to me today was perfect. You don't have to apologise for anything. You're really amazing, okay? Besides, we might not have made it to the semi-finals, but it means I'm the fifth best spiker in the country! That's only four places from where I want to be, and I couldn't have gotten this far without you." 

Keiji doesn't know how to reply, looking down at his hands resting in his lap, Bokuto's fingers still wrapped around his wrist. Bokuto squeezes gently, and waits for Keiji to look back up. 

"We're going to have more chances. We're going to keep practicing and we're going to make our way to the top." 

Keiji smiles. Bokuto's making him smile more often lately and every single time he catches it, Bokuto will smile too, or smile wider than he already is. Keiji may never have hated him to begin with, but it's difficult to believe that he could ever have disliked Bokuto at all. 

"Yeah?" Bokuto prompts, squeezing Keiji's wrists again. 

"Yeah," Keiji nods. "You're right." 

"We're all going to get better," Bokuto says. "You and me and the rest of the team, too. Losing once means that we know how it feels. We're not going to let it happen again. We're not going to feel that way again."

"You sound like the captain," Keiji murmurs. He rests his head back against his seat and turns his hand in Bokuto's grip, pressing their palms together. 

"Akaashi—" Bokuto says, a little too loudly, his face going red.

"Shh," Keiji replies. It's his turn to squeeze Bokuto's hand.

To his surprise, Bokuto doesn't say a word. They spend the rest of the bus ride hand in hand, alternating between looking at each other and looking away. It isn't until they reach the school and everyone wakes up and starts shuffling off the bus that Bokuto tightens his grip, holding Keiji back until they're the last two left.

"Does this mean you like me?" Bokuto asks, lifting their joined hands. His eyes are wide and bright and hopeful, and he's never made Keiji smile so fondly before. 

"Yeah." The rest of the team is probably waiting for them and Keiji doesn't want to hold them up any longer than necessary. This, he thinks to himself as he leans in, pressing a light kiss to the corner of Bokuto's mouth, is necessary. "I like you, Bokuto-san. Come on."

He gets to his feet, making his way off the bus, and hears Bokuto let out a whoop behind him. 

"Is Bokuto okay?" the captain asks, looking alarmed. 

"Yeah." Keiji nods, glad for the way he can hold back his fond smile this time. "You don't need to worry. Bokuto-san will be just fine."

**Author's Note:**

> Thank you so much to [kep](http://archiveofourown.org/users/keptein/pseuds/keptein) and [bishop](http://archiveofourown.org/users/kastron) for the encouragement and help!


End file.
